


Downtime

by twisting_vine_x



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-17
Updated: 2013-01-17
Packaged: 2017-11-25 20:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/642559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twisting_vine_x/pseuds/twisting_vine_x
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Before Bruce can make sense of whatever’s happening in front of him, Tony’s going for the pizza boxes, and the three of them somehow all end up sitting together on the lab floor, eating their pizza, with Steve and Tony bickering back and forth over the merits of physical strength versus technology, and Bruce suddenly can’t believe that the three of them are considered some of Earth’s great avenging heroes. At the moment, he feels more like a teenager at one of those high school sleepovers he rarely got the chance to have.</i>
</p><p>(A/N: Written for this prompt: “Snarky Stony and science bros”.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Downtime

When Tony had invited Bruce to stay with him, Bruce had been – to put it incredibly mildly – hesitant. Even with the events of the final battle – and Bruce is never going to forget that Tony had never once given up on him, or that the Other Guy had seen fit to pluck Tony clear out of the sky – he’s still not sure that he trusts himself in Tony’s home. Stark Tower is already enough a wreck, and the last thing it needs is for the Other Guy to make an appearance and tear down a few more walls, or use Tony’s computers and suits and fancy cars as incredibly expensive punching bags.

So, yes. He had been more than a little bit hesitant. Tony, though, had – of course – managed to make everything about the idea sound perfectly reasonable, and now Bruce is here, hunkered down in one of Tony’s labs, still completely overwhelmed by the abundance of technology at his fingertips. He is, in fact, rather unsure how Tony ever pulls himself away from this place. If he had this kind of equipment in his home, he’s pretty sure he’d never see daylight.

“Is there anything you need, Mr. Banner?”

And then there’s Jarvis. The computer system that’s so real it might as well actually be human. It’s enough to make Bruce smile a bit, and then he’s leaning in closer to his computer screen, eyes scanning across the glorious wealth of data in front of him.

“I’m alright, Jarvis. But thank you.”

“As you wish, sir.”

The room has barely gone silent again before there’s a low curse from somewhere underneath a mountain of metal, and Tony pulls himself out, covered in grease and with his hair pointing in about seventeen different directions. The smile on Bruce’s lips pulls a bit wider, and – god, how he’s missed this. Being around someone who doesn’t watch him like he’s afraid he’s going to tear the place apart at any second. Someone who _trusts_ him.

“Difficulties?”

“Damn converter.”

“Not working?”

“Piece of crap.”

Tony’s voice is disgusted, as though the problem is a personal insult, his face all creased up in a way that’s rather endearing, and Bruce is – happy, he realizes suddenly. Happier than he’s been in a long time – maybe since even before the accident. Here, sequestered away with someone who trusts him enough to let him near this precious equipment, and he breathes through the wave of warmth as he slides out of his chair and crosses the room to crouch down beside Tony, peering underneath the vehicle that Tony’s been working on for hours. 

“And you’ve tried disengaging the energy flow at different locations?”

“Nothing useful.”

“How about –”

His suggestion is cut off when Jarvis’ voice echoes through the room, cool and calm as always.

“Sir, I apologize for the interruption, but Mr. Steve Rogers is here. Shall I let him in?”

Bruce has barely finished blinking back the surprise – Steve’s joining them? – before he notices that Tony’s cheeks are suddenly looking a little bit flushed, and then Tony’s clearing his throat and standing up, sliding his grease-smeared hands down the side of his pants in a movement that seems oddly nervous, and –

Oh. Oh, now _this_ is interesting.

“No worries, Jarvis. I’ll go meet him.”

“As you wish, sir.”

Before Bruce can say a word, Tony shoots him a grin – and it’s not one of the fake smiles he puts on for a public, but an actual honest to god smile, and Bruce still can’t believe he gets to be on the receiving end of that kind of honesty – and then he’s off across the room, punching in the code to exit the room, leaving Bruce alone with Jarvis and – wow. Either Bruce is reading way too much into that reaction, or Tony and Steve seem to have somehow progressed from _Put on the suit_ to quite possibly wanting to tear each other’s suits clean off.

It’s a thought that makes him smirk – because, god, what a pair those two would make – but his amusement doesn’t last for very long, because – Pepper. One of the most amazing women Bruce has ever met, and if Tony and Steve are actually – 

The lab door opens, and in come Tony and Steve, and – Steve is carrying a couple of pizzas. Honest to god pizza, smelling like the epitome of heaven, and Bruce is on his feet and across the room with a speed that should probably be embarrassing, but Steve only smiles at him, and carefully sets the pile down on an area of clear desk.

“Pepper said you two were barely eating. Figured I’d help.”

“You two keeping tabs on me now?”

“Well, since you seem categorically incapable of taking care of yourself –”

Steve gets a punch on the arm for that one, but he’s still smiling at Tony, and Tony looks oddly pleased, even if it’s a barely there expression. Before Bruce can make sense of whatever’s happening in front of him, Tony’s going for the pizza boxes, and the three of them somehow all end up sitting together on the lab floor, eating their pizza, with Steve and Tony bickering back and forth over the merits of physical strength versus technology, and Bruce suddenly can’t believe that the three of them are considered some of Earth’s great avenging heroes. At the moment, he feels more like a teenager at one of those high school sleepovers he rarely got the chance to have.

“It doesn’t change the fact that if your suit becomes damaged –”

“You’re just jealous that I’m not stuck wearing spandex.”

Tony’s smirking as he says it, though, and there’s no way Bruce imagines the way his eyes flick across Steve’s body, as though remembering the sight of him in said spandex – and Steve, incredibly, flushes an interesting shade of pink and suddenly seems very interested in eating his pizza, and Bruce just – cannot believe what he’s seeing here. And maybe what he’s thinking is showing on his face, because Tony sends a smirk in his direction, and – great, now Bruce is blushing, too, because apparently he’s regressed from a grown man to a teenager. And god, this is much worse than any of those high school sleepovers were, and he still doesn’t know exactly what’s going on here.

He’s not sure how much time passes, with them just eating their pizza and simply talking and it’s _so damn nice_ to not be on edge for once, even if he can’t quite figure out what’s up with Steve and Tony, but Steve eventually leaves – Tony walks him out, and Bruce can hear them sniping at each other until the lab door closes, but there’s no real heat to it – and Bruce is left alone with the lab again. After a moment, he slides underneath the machine Tony was working on, because while he won’t actually touch it without Tony’s permission, he can at least use his brain in the meantime – and maybe together they can figure out how to make Tony’s cars more efficient using that fantastic arc reactor technology of his. It’s only when he hears the door open that he slides out and sits up again, and it’s to find Tony leaning up against a desk with his arms crossed over his chest and wearing that trademark smirk of his.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“You gonna be okay with Captain America and I knocking boots?”

It sounds completely unrepentant, but Bruce can see the barely there hint of seriousness in Tony’s eyes, can sense he actually means the question, despite the smirk and the nonchalance – and Bruce thinks about it for a second before he stands up, knowing it’s not his place, but having to ask anyway.

“Pepper?”

“Oh, she knows. We’ve got an agreement.”

“Seriously?”

“Mmmm. Benefits of being with the most amazing woman on the planet.”

And that – well. That pretty much clears up any concerns Bruce might have had about the situation, and he doesn’t bother to fight the smile that pulls at his lips, because – yeah. If Steve and Tony are good for each other, then there’s no way Bruce is going to have a problem with it, and his answer must show in his face, because Tony grins at him and claps him on the arm, before kneeling down to stare underneath the car again.

“Alright, then. Let’s see if we can make this baby work.”

And as Tony lies down and slides underneath the car again – leaving plenty of space for Bruce to squeeze in, too, because, for some reason, Tony actually trusts him around all this stuff, and wants his advice and opinions – all Bruce can do is grin a little wider, and when that wave of happiness sweeps through him again, it somehow leaves him feeling safer than he has in years.


End file.
